Johnny Depp
After a very long career Johnny Depp is back, the
real talent of the man behind the many faces that mesmerized us on the silver
screen is back.
At the age of 52 Johnny is considered one of the
most prolific actors of his generation, with characters verging from the
Frankenstein-esque Edward Scissor hands (1990) all the way to the mediocre
Mortedcai (2014)
While the general audience loves Depp’s more popular
roles, from Captain Jack Sparrow (2003, 2006, 2007 & 2011), and a few
classics such as Donnie Brasco (1997) alongside Al Pacino, Ninth Gate (1999),
and the dark eerie thriller Secret Window (2004). Johnny Depp is an actor whose
glorious performances are beyond these few characters and the Burton
Collaborations.
Here is a list of the less known Johnny Depp
master performances:
Benny & Joon (1993)
Johnny is not the lead actor in this romantic movie, but he manages to steal away the show, with an awkward character that is believable and in search of someone to care for him, in this performance Johnny shows a talent for making use of everything at hand to trigger the laughs the audiences need. It is a performance that reminds us how good Depp is even without the use of make-up.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
Johnny is Gilbert in this masterpiece of a movie by
director Lasse Hallstrom, who manages to push the boundaries with Gilbert and
his brother played by a young Leonardo DiCaprio a match up that works magically
and drives tears of joy and compassion out of the soul, for these are two
perfect talents tangoing together in a dream like life.
Arizona Dream (1993)
In this auteur film by Emir Kusturica Johnny plays
Axel a young man lost in an unrealistic and dazzling love triangle. If dreams
were wished upon this is one flaming love story that throws of the bounds of
reality and itches between the nightmarish fantasies and the dreamy realities.
Dead Man (1995)
Depp is William Blake in Jim Jarmusch’s western
poem, a native American journey between the land of the living and the life of
the dead, a brutal insight into the world of spirituality along with dashing
cinematography and yes Johnny has make up and he does recite a line or two of
poetry, and delivers them with utter magic.
The Libertine (2006)
Considered to be one of the lesser films of Johnny
Depp, but this dark shameless comedy, is a political and artistic slap in the
face for the whole of Europe precisely and the world in general, for speech
focused audiences, no, Depp doesn’t have the best accent for this role, but he
sure delivers some of the best lines ever uttered in cinematic history.
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (2009)
After the death of fellow actor Heath Ledger, Johnny
put on the face make up and got on set to help finish an unfinished Terry
Gilliam project, Depp is one section of the film a memorable section that is
filled with Johnny moments in a very Alice in Wonderland like setting, only
darker and more mature than the Tim Burton adaptation.
Rango (2011)
Apart from True Grit by the Coen Brothers, Rango
might easily be the best Western movie of the past few years a film so well
done with homages verging from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas all the way to
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and throughout the musical course of the film,
the exciting adventures of Lizard Rango are bound to entertain and the punch
lines are sure to put a smile on your face for years to come… just keep an eye
for the slithering snakes.
Black Mass is in Theatres around Lebanon as of the 1st
of October, and it is Johnny Depps best performance since Public Enemies in (2009)
